HP iPAQ 1945 Pocket PC

This slim and sleek, feature-and super-value-packed Pocket PC is small enough to fit in your pocket or purse yet substantial enough to keep your life in order. It includes multimedia, Bluetooth (wireless ready with SDIO WLAN 802.11b card), and plenty of room to expand and accessorize!Be productive wherever you are with popular applications, including Microsoft Office (Pocket Outlook, Word, and Excel), varied features, and large storage capability. The HP iPAQ h1945 fit in your purse or pocket: at 2.75" wide and 4.37 oz., it's easy to keep with you. Access the Internet, e-mail, and corporate data at home, at work, or on the go with the optional SDIO WLAN 802.11b card. Print documents, e-mail attachments, and pictures straight from your HP iPAQ h1945 to a local printer (printing software included). Be entertained by your favorite multimedia, right at your fingertips. Enjoy brilliant color and image sharpness courtesy of the transflective TFT LCD (64,000 colors). Be ergonomically correct with the touch-sensitive display for stylus, built-in speaker and microphone, four programmable launch buttons, and more. Do more as your needs grow by expanding via the integrated SD slot.

1 FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, DO NOT BUY IPAQS!
Product is overpriced for its chintzy characteristics. Looks really nice, but as they say,"looks can be deceiving". I bet 90 percent of the iPaqs out there that have been purchased from 2003 through the present date are either completely useless or are in some need of repair and 99 percent of those broken are most likely not the fault of the purchaser. Hp/Compaq has a HUGE problem with screens (as you can read from the other hundreds of negative postings on Amazon alone). Mine was very well taken care of and lasted about as long as everyone else's has (5-6 months). I even purchased the extended warranty plan, in which you have no way of proving that you did not drop the unit. SOL! My suggestion: file a complaint with your local attorney general. That'll scare HP! (oh wait, they dont care because they are overseas in another country).

2 Love the unit but super fragile.
When I started using the HP1945 it was the ultimate timesaver for me, especially the Outlook Contacts. I loved the design and the way it worked. After one week of use, the screen cracked just from being in my shirt pocket, and the unit was useless. I was lucky and able to return it as defective to the store I bought it from, and get a refund. I will be searching for a similar, but sturdier PDA.

3 Good if no problems, terrible customer service
I bought my IPAQ 1945 in Feb of 2004 and after six months of great use the screen started flickering. I sent it in and was told that "You have spilled water on it and it will cost $190 to replace the screen."(a rude way to put it even if true). I knew it was not true but apparently had no recourse. Either pay up or do without. Now after going six month's without a PDA I'm getting ready to buy another and I just can't make myself get another HP.

4 Good, but never great; the fatally flawed Clinton of PDA's
The HP1945 is a very good idea, with some serious problems. I've just ordered my third one. The first one lasted a month, the screen cracked, and after arm-twisting, HP replaced it. The second one lasted 14 months. This one is out of warranty, so I didn't bother with HP. It appears that the power supply went and fried the circuit board. (At least the blazingly hot spot on the casing and the near-instantaneous power drain of the lithium cell makes me suspect that.)

So why am I ordering a third one. a) I'm an idiot, b) I'm an optimist, or c) The 1945 just happens to do exactly what you need a PDA to do, perfectly, with no extra baggage?

[sigh] I'm afraid it's all three. This liitle machine is compact, versatile, efficient, and does exactly what I need it to do. Then it breaks far to soon, and really ticks me off.

5 experience with iPAQ 1945 model
Regarding the iPAQ 1945:

FWIW: I have been using this iPAQ model with Outlook 2002 and Microsoft ActiveSync with a Windows XP Professional machine for quite some time now (1 year? if forget). Sync'ing is not a problem (reported elsewhere), either with the direct cable or using Bluetooth. Considering how big a pain windows can be in general, there is probably something else going on with the reported problem of windows sync'ing and the iPAQ 1945. I have never had a problem with that feature.

For the price, the device has been a pretty good piece of equipment and I have become addicted to the basic capabilities it provides. If I shopped around some more, I am sure there would be more powerful devices available, but this one is a good price and capability combination.

6 HP fails the consumer with the IPAQ 1945
I purchased the new IPAQ as a replacement to my aging audiovox maestro. I liked the slim design of the new IPAQ and the incorporated bluetooth technology. However, shortly after purchase I became aware of a design flaw which makes the IPAQ 1945 a poor choice for anybody. The IPAQ touchscreen is of substandard quality. After only a few minutes use I had I managed to permently scratch the touchscreen. Within 2 months time the touchscreen itself cracked making my IPAQ useless. I contacted HP customer sevice only to be disapponted by the HP's lack of desire to assist me. In fact the only option made available to me was to pay HP to repair the screen for about the same cost of buying a new IPAQ? I declined and am currently looking for a replacement to my IPAQ. I will deffinately not be considering HP or Compaq products.

7 Buyer beware

When I purchased my Ipaq 1945 in January 2004 I was amazed by what it could do. Some of the highlights are fast speed , multi tasking , upgradeability, and the amazing color display. But after 4 months the Screen internally cracked after a hot sync. This unit was not dropped or impacted in anyway so I sent it back to Hp for a warranty repair. When the technician who received the unit first called me back , He said that the warranty would not cover the screen and that it would cost $280 (almost what it costs new) to fix it. After fighting with them they brought the repair price down to $130.00 , and after I threatened to file a complaint with the attorney generals office for not honoring their warranty they repaired it for $60.00. Three months after that the sound stopped working and it was sent back and they replaced the motherboard at no charge. Two days ago I just got it back and today while I was removing the unit (which is inside of a protective case) from my pocket the screen cracked again and hp again wants $200 to repair it. Now I'm stuck with pocket pc that I invested $360.00 into that is a peace of junk. I am now going to have to look into the consumer laws to see if there is any recourse I can take to get a refund or a warranty covered repair.
This unit should not break during normal use or handling
and if you go online to a search engine like google.com and type in Ipaq 1945 cracked screen you will find many other people who have the same problem and it occurs under the warranty period.
I advise every one to stay away from this product because of the cheap construction of the unit and the Bad customer Service from HP.

8 Cracked LCD screen with regular use
DO NOT BUY THIS WITHOUT SOME SCREEN WARRANTY. I bought this hp1945 from Best Buy with their service protection plan for an additional 50 dollars. My screen cracked with minimal use, there was no direct fall or injury to the device. I paid 299 for the device and an additional 50 for the plan. Nothing was covered and essentially it will cost 200 to fix at HP since they too do not cover the screen. I recently learned I made a 300 dollar mistake when I was informed that Compusa does offer a proteciton plan that covers the screen. The unit is quick but made poorly. If you plan on using this everyday, as most people do, then I suggest a comprehensive service plan or you will be in the same situation as I am. I am now going to purchase a new device at compusa with the warranty because it doesn't pay to fix this one and hope it will not happen again and NOT be covered. Whatever you do, do not buy at BEST BUY with their service plan!!!!!!!!

9 A gem with an Achillies heel
I bought the 1945 in Feb.04 and was in love with it from the word go. I purchased a $30 bluetooth adapter for my Hp 533w desktop and I was in Bluetooth heaven, surfing the internet on my PDA in the living room while it was ActiveSync'd. Worked well with Sony Ericsson T610.
Problems: While on a trip to TX I pulled out my Ipaq (in a soft case) to find a crack smack dab in the middle of the screen, effectively ruining a $300 investment. Like you've heard before a call to a Broken-Englished foreign customer service rep they informed me of the $200 dollar screen. WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER WITHOUT A COVER. I replaced my 1945 with the 4155 but if your looking at any of the IPAQs youd better tack another $35-$45 onto the price because if you dont buy a case your playing PDA Russian Roulette.

10 Great for the price
Just got the 1945 this week. I had used my bosses iPAQ (that cost 2x as much) last year to keep us both insync. It was decided I needed my own this year. I was concerned about what I would get for this price but this is perfect. It works and looks great. I don't even miss the cradle.

11 Met expectations, but lacking in some areas
I originally set out to purchase an MP3 player. The more I thought about it, I thought it would be a good idea to get a PDA an eliminate the need for the bulky planner I had. I have had this iPaq for about 8 months, and I really find it quite handy. I have invested in two large SD cards (interchangeable w/ my digital camera), and use one card for just music. The PIM functions are great, but I have had a few problems with the ActiveSync software (comes with the unit). Additionally, I upgraded to the latest PocketPC, and lost my information and had some issues with ActiveSync (again). The batteries last pretty well, looking at photos, even watching movies (if you can find the patience to save your movies as MPEG4 files). Writing on it is still tedious, I frequently use the mini keyboard, but the character recognition works pretty well too. The voice recorder is a nice feature. Bluetooth is okay, I did buy an adapter for my PC, and it works to wirelessly update my information.

The problems I have are really the lack of storage capacity (I can now get a 1 GB SD card, but this is measly when compared with the monsterous 40 Gigs on many MP3 players), the headphone jack is only 2.5mm (not the standard 3.5mm) meaning you have to tote around an adapter (that comes with it). The ActiveSync software is a real pain (I know that is really a Microsoft issue, but it needs work), and the character recognition needs a little more work too.

I would recommend the following accessories: a large SD card (particularly if you plan to use this as an MP3 player), a RhinoSkin case - I lost count how many times I've dropped this thing, but it still works, and a bluetooth adapter (if you don't plan to go wireless, just stick with the 1935 - it's cheaper).

12 $300 paperweight
Owned my 1945 for about 6 months. After taking it out of my briefcase and my ipaq's protective case, the screen would not respond except for a white splash across the screen. A call to HP customer support was fruitless except for the suggestion to send it in under the one year warranty. Here is their response:

Subject: Regarding case #.....

Dear Mr. .....,

I am in receipt of a case escalation regarding your Ipaq which is on hold at our repair facility for a cracked screen. The repair facility is the facilitator of your unit's service warranty. They handle Ipaq units on a daily basis and make the determination of what is covered under warranty and what it is not.

The damage to your unit has been determined to be a non-warranty event.

A display in an iPAQ Pocket PC is made up of two basic components - the LCD, which is enclosed in a metal/plastic frame, and a Touch Panel (TP), which is attached on top of the LCD frame, providing a gap between the LCD and the TP. The stylus makes contact with the TP only. The gap between prevents incidental contact with the LCD.

Both the LCD and the Touch Panel are each made up of several layers of glass and other thin films of materials, which all together provide the best user experience per our product specifications. The specifications for the display when enclosed in the iPAQ Pocket PC case include operating environment requirements which cover impact, shock and vibration, temperature and pressure. When the iPAQ Pocket PC is stored or used within these limits, it will provide reliable operation as designed. Operating Environment specifications are documented in the Hardware Specification section of the reference guide.

Display breakage typically occurs in two forms, one for each of the basic components - the glass that provides the backing to the touch panel cracks, or the front or rear glass that surrounds the liquid crystal material of the LCD cracks. A crack in the touch panel is easy to see and identify. The glass fragments can even separate and move around but remain trapped behind the top layer of the touch panel. A crack in the LCD is not as easy to see, but is identified by the 'dark ink' that can be seen. This dark ink appearance is caused by air disturbing the orientation of the liquid crystal material. One or both may have occurred as the result of some incident.

Within the operating environment, display breakage occurs because of mechanical stress. This stress can be from bending and torsion forces, an impact to the surface and shocks from any axis especially to the corners. Where the breakage started can often be determined by the crack radiating outward from the start. It may not be possible to identify what caused the mechanical stress which resulted in display breakage. As an example, impact and/or shock from dropping the iPAQ Pocket PC to concrete will typically show signs of case damage. Bending or torsion forces due to sitting down with an iPAQ Pocket PC in a rear pants pocket will typically show no signs of case damage.

In summary, iPAQ Pocket PCs go through rigorous environmental testing and are designed to withstand an operating environment. Display breakage within this operating environment will occur due to external mechanical stress of some form. The origination of the mechanical stress may be unknown to the iPAQ owner, but did occur.

This repair will not be covered under warranty. The reason why this repair may not be covered under warranty is because this is not a manufacturing failure. This is an external caused damage. You may refer to the warranty statement that states that warranty is not extended to accident, miuse, abuse or other external causes.

If you would like my repair facility to proceed with repairs, you may contact them to authorize billing, or you may opt to have the unit returned to you with no services performed. You can reach them at (888) 886-3292 opt#3. Anyone answering the phone will be able to assist you. Please make sure to mention the above case number. If you have any questions regarding the above information, please refer to your warranty statement. Thank you.

Kattia Porras Lara
Phone: 1-888-943-8476 Ext.: 3012
TSG Americas
TCE & Q
Mission Control

For a mere $200 HP will repair my paperweight..

13 it's great
This has been one of my favorite PDAs to own. It has a good screen, it's easy to use and has all the features I need. I especially like the Bluetooth, which lets me sync the iPAQ to my cell phone so I can keep the phone numbers and other information updated without having to type it in twice. It's so convenient!

14 $300 paper weight!
My husband bought this for me for my birthday in January. I am a pharmacy student and it comes in so handy when I work in a pharmacy. I call it my other brain. The other day while I was working at a pharmacy, it fell from the counter to the floor. It hit a rubber matted floor. The LCM (I think that is what it is called)is now broke. It looks as though liquid is oozing from the top corner. Ever store I have taken it to says it is cheaper to replace the whole unit. I called HP they said it will be 199.99 to replace plus shipping a labor. What a joke. I will buying a new one, just not an HP. If one little fall from a counter can cause such damage, it is not worth it. I am very disappointed in this product. Buyer Beware!

15 Satisfied But Confused
Beautiful little machine. In the first two weeks of use, have had one synchronization glitch -- couldn't delete a web page because of a supposed file-sharing error -- but it was resolved with a soft reset. Biggest concern so far: I have dozens of questions (just one example: what is "automatic gain control"?) that aren't answered either in user's manual or on-board Help files. Guess I'll have to get them answered through a Google search. You'll need to buy a case and one thought on this: Think twice before you buy (or better yet, try it out somewhere) the Rhinoskin aluminum case. It's VERY difficult to use the PDA while it is in this case with the front open. There's simply no way to comfortably and securely get a grip on the case because the front doesn't fold back. I sent mine back and bought Rhinoskin's leather case for IPAQ 1900 Series PDAs(00366; it's hard to find on Amazon because there are few links from the IPAQ PDA pages). This case -- because the front folds back behind the PDA -- solved the problem. I originally bought the aluminum case because my PDA goes in a bike bag, but this case seems to provide protection that is almost as good.

16 First time PPC user
I bought the HP Ipaq 1945 2 weeks ago and think it's an excellent product. No problem syncronising with Outlook, Word, and Excel, pretty fast. The bluetooth feature is a little bit tricky when setting up, but once you find out how, the bluetooth synchronisations are excellent.
The only drawbacks are: it does not bring a protective case, you have to get your own covers for the lcd screen and the battery lasts about 4 hours in continuos operation.
If you are looking for a simple to use device and use your standard outlook features this device is for you. It's thin and light, simple to carry around and all the info you need is right in your hand.

17 A word of warning
In my opinion and from experience, there is a strong flaw in this series of units - the charging/communications port. This port, though hooded, is left exposed and being a wafer-thin chip (or board, I'm not sure which) can be too easily damaged. I was very careful with my pocket pc (the cost of it was a lot for me) and had even encased it in a metal case to protect it. Two months after purchasing it, it would no longer synch with my computer and so I sent it in to HP. I received a call from them confirming that the port was indeed damaged and that since it was an integral part of the motherboard that the motherboard had to be changed. This apparently was not covered by the warranty and so I would have to pay over $200 for the replacement part. This is about 80 percent of what I had paid for the unit to begin with so I declined their service. I do not know how the port was damaged nor were they able to tell me. In any case I would avoid buying this because of this Achilles heel.

18 Product is too fragile for everyday use
Although the product worked as advertised, I knew I shouldn't have bought such a cheap product. After owning mine for just 6 weeks, my screen went bad. After sending it in to repair under waranty, HP told me it would have taken 50 pounds of pressure to cause the internal stress crack they saw. I know they are full of it as it was in my jacket pocket the entire time and there was no way it could have taken such a blow. I wanted to talk to an HP manager about this, but they wouldn't even return my call. Instead I kept getting a different underling and they wasted an additional 3 weeks of my time without fixing it. They wanted to charge me $199 to fix the screen and about $40 to insure the shipping back to me. Seems to me they are just trying to make double the money off the same product rather than provide a repair service.

19 Very good PDA, few drawbacks
I purchased this PDA about a week ago. I am extremely satisfied with it.

-Performance
Very good. It plays Family Guy Divx's without a glitch. All the programs open fast, and the windows media player is very good.

-Storage
The 64 (theoretical) megabytes are more than enough to install as many programs as you want, although if you want to watch movies or listen to mp3's, you might want to think about getting a 128 or 256 secure digital card.

-Screen
Very bright with nice colors. If you look at it from below, there is a yellow tint. This bothers some people, but I personally like the yellow.

-Battery
A big plus with this PDA is the removable battery. That way, you can always replace it with another. The PDA has a built-in NMH battery, so that you will not lose any data when swapping batteries. Replacement batteries can be found for about $30. Battery life is very long, about 2 1/2 hours of watching a movie.

Pros:
Fast processor
Enough memory
Good screen
Very small

Removable battery
Lots of buttons

Cons:
non-standard audio plug (adapter included)
No scroll button on side

20 DONT BUY THIS HUNK OF #$%@
I've had my ipaq 1945 for about 3 mounths, the first day i used it, the screen chiped, and today, for the first time, I dropped my ipaq and the screen broke into a million shards of glass. HP now wantes to charge me $200!!!! to fix the sreeen. DONT BUY FROM IPAQ!! Unless you wanna throw $300 down the drain.

21 Solid PDA, Horrible Offshore (India) Support
If were only the H1945 being reviewed and not the HP support center in India I would give the unit 5 stars. Overall the H1945 is an excellent PDA for the price; it's small enough to be quite portable, fast enough to keep up with the higher-end unit thanks to the Samsung processor, and it won't break the bank.

I've tested the H5555 (HP's flagship PDA) and it is a very nice unit if you've got a need (and budget)for a $600+ PDA, personally I don't have that kind of money to invest in a PDA. The H1945 does nearly everything the H5555 will do (Less the built in WiFi) for less than half the price. I personally would rather carry the H1945 as it is also about half the size and weight. I still can't believe how fast this thing is, the 266Mhz Samsung processor really performs, perhaps as good or better than some of the 400Mhz Intel units.

The only real knock on this unit is the HP support (which is in India); I've contacted them twice, 1 phone call and 1 online support attempt to resolve a question about my warranty period for the H1945. Both times were very frustrating and I was left without a clear answer and additional work or effort for me. The person on the phone had such a heavy accent I couldn't understand them and I'm normally really good with accents, this one was bad. The next attempt was with the online support, it ended up with the tech support person trying to tell me the warranty starts when the unit is manufactured, not when you purchase it so I would only have a 10 month warranty rather than the full one year warranty since my device was manufactured two months ago. This guy really believed what he was saying even though it is so obviously wrong, it ended up with me having to fax my info to HP in order to ensure I had a full warranty. According to two different people at HP (India) you must buy a unit made on the same day you purchase it to receive the full 12 month warranty, have you ever heard such nonsense? I'm sure glad this same logic doesn't apply to the rest of the world.

Pros: Very effective unit for the price.
Cons: Completely incompetent offshore support personnel, don't bother.

22 Very good product in its classs
Purchased HP ipaq1945 from Local Office Depot morethan 6 months ago for $260. I am very much impressed with the performance and light weight.

I have never found the Yellow Tint problem on my PDA till now. I am not sure what exactly this problem is. Anyways things are working fine as expected.

In this 6 months i just rebooted the PDA only once. Windows 2003 OS is working very good, a bit surprise to seee as at last this another form of Windows.

Great One !!!!!!!!

23 Spontaneously Hard Resets
I purchased this item from CompUSA 2/14/04. It has been a great product up until yesterday. It began to spontaneously reset itself every minute or so, losing all my information. Fortunately, I purchased the express plan, which has proved to be more hassel than it is worth. I would not recommend purchasing electronics from CompUSA. They have changed over their entire extended warranty plans. Rather than being able to return the defected item to the store, you have to wait 48 hours for them to send you a box to ship it back to them, etc. etc. From now on, I will purchase my electronics somewhere that will do an in-store exchange.

This is a serious glitch in this product. Buyers think twice before purchasing.

24 Run, don't walk, from this clunker
Bought an IPAQ 1945 six months ago, nothing but trouble. Now on my second cycle of problems, already having serviced the unit once. Device will reset itself, losing all of the data you have on it, without warning. HP support is horrendous, off-shore call center in India with lots of canned answers, not insight, and difficulty with English. Buy another PDA, this one is trouble, unless you don't really need all those phone numbers and appointments, in which case you wonder why you are wasting your money on a PDA.

25 Great Product
I got the iPAQ 1945 because of it's size, bluetooth, speed, price, and looks.

I definately like what I got, been using it since Christmas, got an SDIO 802.11b card ( sandisk ), works fine. Awaiting for handhelds.org to finish the port of my beautiful Linux to this. =)

Overall, it really is a great product. Great screen, great buttons. I don't know what the hell people are talking about when they are saying a Yellow tint. Mine has no such thing.

26 Great Handheld - Lack of Options
I purchased this iPAQ for its price and size. Unfortunately, I didn't research the peripheral options. There are no keyboards designed for this iPAQ (the IR port is on the side), there are no mobile bluetooth keyboards on the market, there are no modems that fit the SD slot, there are no wired NIC that fit the SD slot, there is now a wireless network card which retails for $130, etc. I wanted something small that I could take notes in class and get and respond to email on the road. With no modem and no keyboard, this isn't been possible.

27 hp1945 poor performance/hp poor customer support
This is the poorest performing handheld I have ever owned.(I have had 3- 2 palm 1 sony)> I have owned it for 6 months it has been repaired 4 times. It continually hard resets, then it will just lock up. Buyer beware!!!!!. HP ( the company) If there customer service gets any worse they are DOOMed!!! POOR...POOR...POOR You cant get any worse. The right hand does not know what the left is doing. There solution to every problem is to have your product shipped to them. The catch is you never know if they fix it or what they fixed. They send no information back to you and when you call to find out what they did you get the run around and noboby know anything. Then 2 days later you unit doesnt work again......Guess what Mr so n so you need to send your unit in for repairs....you get the picture. Buyer beware!!!!!!!!!!!!

28 Didnt like the screen
I bought this piece from amazon.com but am returning it, reason being i did not like the yellow tint that you see on the screen. Apart from that its a beauty to look at. Did not use it much so cant comment about other features; just wanted to share what others
have said about the yellow tint. Recommend to first have a look at it in any store and then buy.

29 Great PDA....when it's not crashing.
Eager to use windows (I'm not a Palm OS fan) & buy a unit I could "grow" into I bought my first iPAQ 1945 in Sept 2003. Worked great & I loved it! Until it died (completely unresponsive) Jan 2004. Thankfully I bought an extended warranty from Best Buy, so I was able to walk in & exchange it because HP sent my mail-in box to the wrong state... Now, four weeks later, it hard reset. I gave it benefit of the doubt, and 2 days later, it wouldn't stop hard resetting.

I took care of pocket pc (esp having already exchanged it once!), kept it in a hard case, & by no means overused it (I never used it's full capacity in fact). Having read the other consumer reviews, & exchanged the product twice, I suspect there is a fatal desing/structural flaw with this unit. I hope to exchange mine for a different product. Be forewarned - if you are going to gamble on this model, make sure you buy a nice extended warranty to go with it!!

30 HP Has No Heart
When my iPaq 1910 would freeze up every couple of months and require a hard reset (losing all my data) I just accepted it until the one time when it could not be hard reset. Then I called HP (1 year, 1 week after purchase) and was told my warranty expired that day but they would send me a shipping box and "honor the warranty". Well, when the iPaq got there and they diagnosed it with a "bad motherboard" the story changed. Now they wanted almost $200 to fix it. This rep told me my warranty had expired on 2/16/04. I said that's when I called HP. He said, well it's expired now, how do you want to pay for this. He ignored all my entreaties. I told him to just send it back. My advice is to NOT BUY AN HP PDA.

31 Poor Service from HP/IPAQ
PLEASE read this before you buy an HP IPAQ product so you know how you will be treated if you should have a problem. I own about 6 HP products between IPAQ's, printers and scanners, and I always chose an HP before any other product, until NOW.
I purchased 3 IPAQ's within 2 months. One for myself, my husband, and my father to the tune of $1350! There are days I don't even use my IPAQ, so it isn't abused. My IPAQ froze up on Thanksgiving day of 2003. It would not do anything, so on Monday, I called HP service, they said they wouldn't do anything because the 1 year warranty had expired. I purchased two of the three on Oct. 4, 2002 and this was November! I thought, oh, this product is only good for 1 year of use?
So I talked to a few "higher up's" in the service area and got told that I am on my own. Then I had my husband call up there and they agreed to send us a box with shipping paid so we could send the unit back for them to diagnose the problem. Fair enough. They call within a week and left us a message telling us that the mother board is shot and it will cost $217 to fix. I just got done paying $450 for the product just over a year ago!! You have to be kidding!! This unit was obviously DEFECTIVE from the beginning. And because of a few days of warranty lapse, HP won't step up to the plate and help at all.
So my husband calls back up there and talks to another "higher up" again (because obviously he got further than I did the first time), and her verdict was that HP will not stand behind their product at all. We have to pay the entire bill. Well I will tell you what, I will not fix this HP product, nor will I EVER buy an HP product again. And furthermore, I am in one of the hugest business markets in the world and talk to customers all day long, and I will be sure to tell them of how HP treats their customers. They should stand behind their product, Period!
If they haven't figured it out, PEOPLE make a business and HP's people and policies are ludicrous! If I have a customer that has a problem and is 2 months out of warranty, I will make our manufacturer stand behind their product and fight for my customer's rights!! It is obvious that HP doesn't care about their customers at all. Good to know!! Beware of big business.

32 Weak Screen
I've owned my Ipaq for over 4 weeks and thought it was a great product. I used a protective case and was very careful with the unit. The screen has gone out and according to HP there were signs of internal compression. I've check a couple of the discussion groups and noticed similar comments. I really liked this product but have to give it 1 star if after 4 weeks it stops working. HP is charging $200 to fix with is more then half the cost of the unit.

33 NO KEYBOARD AVAILABLE
Great machine overall, but there are NO keyboards out there that work on this machine, therefore it's rather useless for writing or editing Word or Excel documents.

34 looks like a good product
I was happy with this ipaq, provided by my intern program. It is small, light, yet good enough for my needs.

The first problem I found is the bluetooth software. I use it with my t68i to access internet by bluetooth dial modem. It only works 1 out 10+ times. First I thought it's t68i's fault. I google the problem and found others reported it a bug of 1945's bluetooth manager. It requires a soft reset to use the bluetooth again. Well, to be fair, the bluetooth software on 1945 is developed by widcom. And once I know the solution, I can live with the bug.

Today, after 2 weeks use of this ipaq, I was totally dispointed. It was dead locked today when I took it out of my pocket. Switch button and reset button couldn't turn it on. I managed to turn it on by remove and re-insert the battery; everything in memory is gone. But when I back to home. I found whenever I take it off the charging cable, it will hard reset and lost everything again. What a crap. From google, again I found I am not the first one got such problem. Our lab also has many bad experiences of hp products and services, including amazing $40k server slower than a PIII desktop (by the way, after we reported the problem to hp, they offered us $2k to buy it back. What a joke). I am definitely not a hp fan.

35 Dead at 7 Weeks
Do I like the product? Yes...if it would work. After seven weeks, the entire thing came to a grinding halt...poof! This would be only somewhat more amusing if the last Ipaq I owned, a 3630, had not had the screen go out when it was less than a month old. Compaq was nice enough not only to charge me $125.00 to repair it, but to erase the memory(not sure what that had to do with repairing the screen) and take nearly a month to return it to me. It took almost twenty phone calls and letter to the CEO of Compaq to get it returned. One other note. It does not come with a protective case which you MUST have. Add $25.00-$40.00 to the cost for this. It also does not come with a cradle. Add more for that. As a would-be purchaser, I would be leery of cheap manufacturing and terrible customer service.

36 Dead at 7 Weeks
Do I like the product? Yes...if it would work. After seven weeks, the entire thing came to a grinding halt...poof! This would be only somewhat more amusing if the last Ipaq I owned, a 3630, had not had the screen go out when it was less than a month old. Compaq was nice enough not only to charge me $125.00 to repair it, but to erase the memory(not sure what that had to do with repairing the screen) and take nearly a month to return it to me. It took almost twenty phone calls and letter to the CEO of Compaq to get it returned. As a would-be purchaser, I would be leery of cheap manufacturing and terrible customer service.

37 Beware serious hard reset problems!!!
I didn't want this iPaq 1945 due to previous negative experiences with iPaq's (including the very first one that developed the infamous dust-under-screen problem within a week and and became unusable after a month), but my manager who used to work HP likes HP so he forced us to buy this model. Not a single person in my 10-person group likes it, because of sluggish performance, frequent need to soft-reset, and tons of problems syncing with Outlook 2000 and XP under Windows XP and 2000.

Anyway, what's really ticking me off right now is a mysterious, random hard-reset problem. It started around Thanksgiving, when one day I was on the subway and needed to check the address of my client, so I whipped out the 1945 and to my great horror, it performed a hard reset on its own, giving me the middle-finger salute with the ugly HP welcome screen that you only see after a hard reset. I had just recharged the battery, and the unit wasn't even 3 months old, so I was totally horrified.

That was just the beginning of my problems. Ever since then the unit would turn itself off without warning, and occasionally (to be fair, not all the time) it would just hard-reset on its own. I don't think this kind of behavior is acceptable at all in a PDA. You buy a PDA to store information and retrieve it whenever you need it, not to stare at a blank screen at your most critical moment.

Other people in my group also have various problems with the 1945, from broke backlight on one unit to frequent syncing problems on another to inaccurate digitizer on yet another. BTW I've always had syncing problems with IPAQs in the past, and still do these days: when I hook up my iPaq to my Win XP machine, it would take almost 5 minutes for the sync to start. Every day, using the iPaq 1945 is a very frustrating experience, and sluggish performance (even in Calendar and Contacts) is only the least of it.

Stay away from these poor products. It's your money and you deserve better. For Pocket PC's, Toshiba seems to be putting its act together and has come out with some very good models, including the VGA-resolution (640x480) e800/e805.

38 IPAQ-GREAT PRODUCT!!!!!
I bought the IPAQ h1945 a few days ago and it has been great! No problems except for a program froze up, and it was the program's fault and not the IPAQ's. As far as the yellow tint issue, it is so suttle unless you try to see it or unless you have it on a 45 degree amgle. If you are really worried about the color/tint, go to Bestbuy or similar and actually give it a try. I almost bought a Dell Axim X5 but they were not avail at any store for a test drive, a big downside, buying blind online. I am so happy with the IPAQ's small design, it is great. Its awesome for music. It cam play MP3 and WMA and can be upgraded free to play MPEG movies by installing free pocket tv for pocket pc. This thing has a better speaker than my dad's laptop! Also. people who gripe about the headphone adapter probably haven't bought this thing, its only lile 3 inches long, so unless you have wireless headphones (cool) you shouldn't be worried. Battery life is great! No worries! Great file storage space. Also, you can get tons of free games for it at windowsmobile.com and download.com. Great investment! Cool!

39 Best Bang For the Buck
The Pros
Value- The HP 1945's price is hard to beat for the quality and features. With integrated Bluetooth, a 266Mhz CPU, 64MB RAM, 32MB ROM, and up to 14MB for the IPaq File Store; the HP 1945 is the best bang for the buck!

Size- This PDA is tiny, but still has a decent size screen at 3.5". It is very slim and even with a case, it is still smaller than most of the others on the market.

Performance- The HP 1945's performance is actually quite shocking. It outperforms all slower processor PDA's and outperforms several with faster processors. It opens all applications fast, and data transfer is smooth and error free.

Screen- The screen is bright and brilliant. Colors are beautifully displayed with video and pictures looking crystal clear.

Bluetooth- The integrated Bluetooth in a PDA under $300 is awesome. I use the Bluetooth to surf the web and check my email from my couch. I have had no problems syncing or with data transfers. This is a great feature, and I am now going to start buying more Bluetooth peripherals because of the ease of use.

Software- I love Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC. It is seemlessly integrated with other Microsoft apps like Word, Outlook, Excel, and Powerpoint. This makes life alot easier for me. Another thing I like is using the Microsoft Theme editor to make my own customized desktops (Today screens). Finally, software plus is the availability of some great PocketPC freeware []

[]

Audio- The MP3 playback is very nice, and the speakers sound good. I have seen some complaints about the headphone jack adaptor, but I don't see it as a big issue. They had to make the jack smaller to keep the PDA as slim as possible. The voice recorder is a great feature that allows you to instantly make voice recordings with just one click.

The Cons-
No Commercial Grade IR - To make your PDA into a Remote Control. No biggie, but that would have been a nice feature.
Small center button - Makes games a bit difficult (but who really plays games, right?)
Documentation - The PDA manual is weak, and I had to search the web to figure out how to use some of the functions.

Conclusion -
If you are shopping for a PDA at a great price that is packed with features and performance, look no further than the HP 1945. It has features that are comparable to PDA's priced at $400, while it is priced under $300! This is a top-notch PDA!

40 Great PDA. Love It!!!
I currently own a Pallm V and decided I wanted to benefit from the richer functionality and interface of the Pocket PC. I did a lot of research and settled on the 1945.

Pluses
-Great form factor. Smaller and lighter than my Pallm V.
-Great screen, i.e. brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, etc. I don't really notice the yellowish tint that other reviews (here and on other sites) have mentioned.
-Great price. I purchased one refurbished by HP from a company called Pallmking, which is one of the vendors listed under 'buy new/used'. I paid $218+$8 for expedited shipping. I ordered it on a Friday and received on the following Wednesday.
-Very fast. Many of the reviews said this as well and attribute it to the 266mhz processor.

Cons
-No screen protector. The ones I found in the store are twice as much as compared to other PDA's (i.e. $20 for 12 as compared to $10 for most other PDA's)
-Documentation is terrible and is basically useless.
-Blue tooth difficult to setup.
-Only one expansion slot and it is SD. There seems to be fewer devices for SD and they seem more expensive as compared to CF.
-Very limited selection of 801.11b wireless cards. Only could find two (Socket Comm and ScanDisk) and they were $100+ and did not get very good reviews.

I also looked hard at the HP 1935, but it was slower (203mhz) and didn't have Bluetooth.

Bluetooth was a bear to get working, but now that I have it has been really cool. I use for wireless web browsing, activesync, and file transfers. Some sights to help you with this are:

http://www.pc-counselor.com/How_to/bluetooth_network.htm - For setting up the wireless web browsing (this was very painful to setup)

http://www.bluetoothnews.com/features/ActiveSync.htm - For setting up activesync.

http://www.bluetooth.com/ - Official bluetooth site

I purchased a Hawking USB bluetooth device for $31 from Amazon and it has worked great (just make sure you download the most current driver)

Some good general PocketPC sites are:

http://www.brighthand.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/resources/downloads/pocketpc/default.mspx - Has several good downloads.

Overall I am extremely happy and satisfied with the 1945!!

41 Great PDA. Love It!!!
I currently own a Pallm V and decided I wanted to benefit from the richer functionality and interface of the Pocket PC. I did a lot of research and settled on the 1945.

Pluses
-Great form factor. Smaller and lighter than my Pallm V.
-Great screen, i.e. brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, etc. I don't really notice the yellowish tint that other reviews (here and on other sites) have mentioned.
-Great price. I purchased one refurbished by HP from a company called Pallmking, which is one of the vendors listed under 'buy new/used'. I paid $218+$8 for expedited shipping. I ordered it on a Friday and received on the following Wednesday.
-Very fast. Many of the reviews stated this as well and attribute it to the 266mhz processor.

I also looked hard at the HP 1935, but it was slower (203mhz) and didn't have Bluetooth.

Bluetooth was a bear to get working, but now that I have it has been really cool. I use for wireless web browsing, activesync, and file transfers. Some sights to help you with this are:

http://www.pc-counselor.com/How_to/bluetooth_network.htm - For setting up the wireless web browsing (this was very painful to setup)

http://www.bluetoothnews.com/features/ActiveSync.htm - For setting up activesync.

http://www.bluetooth.com/ - Official bluetooth site

I purchased a Hawking USB bluetooth device for $31 from Amazon and it has worked great (just make sure you download the most current driver)

Some good general PocketPC sites are:

http://www.brighthand.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/resources/downloads/pocketpc/default.mspx - Has several good downloads.

Overall I am extremely happy and satisfied with the 1945!!

42 Great PDA. Love It!!!
I currently own a Pallm V and decided I wanted to benefit from the richer functionality and interface of the Pocket PC. I did a lot of research and settled on the 1945.

Pluses
-Great form factor. Smaller and lighter than my Pallm V.
-Great screen, i.e. brightness, contrast, color, sharpness, etc. I don't really notice the yellowish tint that other reviews (here and on other sites) have mentioned.
-Great price. I purchased one that was refurbished by HP from a company called Pallmking, which is one of the vendors listed under 'buy new/used'. I paid $218+$8 for expedited shipping. I ordered it on a Friday and received on the following Wednesday.
-Very fast. Many of the reviews I read stated this as well and attribute it to the 266mhz processor.

Cons
-No screen protector. The ones I found in the store are twice as much as compared to other PDA's (i.e. $20 for 12 as compared to $10 for most other PDA's)
-Documentation is terrible and is basically useless.
-Blue tooth difficult to setup.
-Only one expansion slot and it is SD. There seems to be fewer devices for SD and they seem more expensive as compared to CF.
-Very limited selection of 801.11b wireless cards for SD. Only could find two (Socket Comm and ScanDisk) and they were $100+ and did not get very good reviews.

I also looked hard at the HP 1935, but it was slower (203mhz) and didn't have Bluetooth.

Bluetooth was a bear to get working, but now that I have it has been really cool. I use for it wireless web browsing, activesync, and file transfers. Some sights to help you with this are:

http://www.pc-counselor.com/How_to/bluetooth_network.htm - For setting up the wireless web browsing (this was very painful to setup)

http://www.bluetoothnews.com/features/ActiveSync.htm - For setting up activesync.

http://www.bluetooth.com/ - Official bluetooth site

I purchased a Hawking USB bluetooth device for $31 from Amazon and it has worked great (just make sure you download the most current driver). I get a good wireless connection through-out my house.

Some good general PocketPC sites are:

http://www.brighthand.com/
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsmobile/resources/downloads/pocketpc/default.mspx - Has several good downloads.

Overall I am extremely happy and satisfied with the 1945!!

43 Small, usefull, and fun!!!
I decided to buy my first PDA only a couple of months ago and after doing some pretty extensive research I ended up with an iPAQ 1945.
My initial parameters were completely modified by the following 2 concepts:
1) If your PDA is too bulky, you will end up not carrying it along all the time and therefore it's usefullness will decrease despite all the extras that might fit in a larger unit.
2) Your PDA is not a notebook, and will never perform like one. If you want a fully functional computer then shop somewhere else.
With these 2 *new* concepts (at least they were new to me), my decision to buy a iPAQ 1945 proved to be right.
The unit is really small and fits nicely in my shirt pocket even with the added bulk of a leather protective case. (Covertec makes a very nice one that fits like a glove)
I do a lot of field work and short traveling and my PPC proved to be the perfect extension of my notebook. I carry all my important spreadsheets and text with me all the time and the addition of an SDIO WiFi card made it really easy to get connected either at work, airport, or at my local shopping mall while my wife gets in and out of every single shop.
Note that I don't make huge presentation, spreadsheets, or text documents on my PPC. That would be painfull with a small screen keyboard. I still make them on my notebook, but I'm always carrying that information in my pocket now and I can always edit the files on the road and later update them on my computer.
There is a huge selection on both freeware and shareware programs available with a little research on the web.
Overall, I'm a very satisfied customer!!

44 The good, the bad, the ugly
The good:
Really snappy speed compared to my Jornada 540. Very light weight. Nice bright display.

The bad:
The manual is terrible, awful, and really bad. It reads like the tech writer had never used a PocketPC before they wrote it. For instance "The Pocket PC has a small internal backup battery that allows you to change the main battery without losing RAM data(user-installed programs and data) as long as it is replaced immediately." OK. So how long does this battery last? How is it charged? Does it even charge or do you replace it at some point? The manual has nothing but 'statements of fact' and is virtually useless if you run into problems. The amazing thing is that the manual is 127 pages long.

To be fair, there are a few applications hints. For instance, "To see if your Pocket PC has built-in Bluetooth technology, tap Start > Settings and tap the Asset Viewer icon." Although it's a bit silly to put this in the manual since Bluetooth is an integral feature of the 1945!

The ugly:
Getting Activesync running with Bluetooth can be a real nightmare. The problem is that you're dealing with a lot of variables: the Windows operating system, Activesync on your computer, Activesync on the iPAQ, Bluetooth on the computer, and Bluetooth on the iPAQ. Error messages on the iPAQ are very uninformative (not that Windows XP is that much better).

Here's the best article I found:
http://www.bluetoothnews.com/features/ActiveSync.htm

Another ugly is the price of the docking station (cradle) and it doesn't even include an A/C adapter. I didn't buy one and now that I've got Bluetooth running, I probably won't

The price of a spare battery is also pretty ugly.

Conclusion:
Once you get the silly thing setup, it's a big improvement from what you could buy only a couple years ago. Since the documentation is only available on CD, you'd think they'd have done a better job with it. It's one thing if you're trying to save cost by not printing manuals but there's no excuse for a poor manual when it costs absolutely nothing to provide more content on a CD.

45 new update: beware of random hard reset
I get this to go along with Tungsten T because TT don't do well with mulitmedia (no streaming audio support), and sound is weak over headphones
this is a nice pda, and includes Outlook 2002 (!!!), runs stable, not yet encountered suddenly reboot (reset) as TT did, since I switched platform, that everything I have to start over
audio is never been better, when I play internet radio with realone, I can feel the power of digital internet brocasting, sound is soooo good, esp with Sennheiser PX100!
the screen is readable (a little bit) when the illumination is off, which is a big plus to save power, but the whole screen is unable to turn off when music player (realone, ms media, winampaq) is active; on the other side, however, the resolution is not as good as TT, as least the same size Chinese characters, TT is 12 px, 1945 is 10 px
bt works great, but nokia 3650 users MUST be aware, I have problem to connect GPRS with 3650, but n-gage works well
the apps looks okay, and transferring files is PRETTY easy, just connect, and open My Computer, the WHOLE directory of ppc is there!!!
installing Outlook 2002 is highly recommended, or you have hard time to cross-sync with pc, n-gage, TT, ppc (they have a common spot to sync: Outlook), so includes Outlook is a clever idea
removable battery is a HUGE plus, and palm can't, because this model has intermediate battery to keep the memory when switching battery (never attempt to switch battery on palm, or you'll lose EVERYTHING!)
this ppc's slim design is nice, but the casing is plastic, never drop it!
it has no screen cover is ridiculas, that be careful when put it in your pocket, or a lot of mis-operation will happen
no sync base is okay for me, just make this unit more flexible

the way to make Activesync with bt:
1. make sure you know your bt COM port, and set it to be used by Activesync
2. pairing
3. on ppc, activate bt Activesync
Setup->System->Bluetooth Manager->bt Activesync port->connect
once you seen the Activesync icon turns green, you got it!
this pda is class 2 bluetooth device, which gets up to 25m range with host with class 1 or 2 bt adaptor, just make sure a fully charged spare battery handy (it drains battery faster with class 1 or 2 bt host or access point)

I give it 81/100 (95/100 if a screen cover is included, costs just a buck)

update: I have experienced 3 times random hard-reset, it suddenly sounds "'ding-ding" then...align screen...

make sure you have to backup your contacts and appoiments on card and IPAQ file store
one more, this model won't have WM2003SE update

46 Reliable Pocket PC
It is very reliable and versitile, the price is right though! I particularly like the bluetooth networking capabilities AND the infrared, adds a big advantage over bluetooth only enabled devices. Overall very good and holds its charge for about 3 days if you don't play too much music or watch video clips late at night (i do =D)

47 Good, but not perfect
HP has a lot going with this PDA. The first thing anyone will probably notice is how small this Pocket PC is. It's actually slightly thicker than the Toshiba e330 series, but it's so much smaller otherwise that you'd never notice.

When using this PDA, you'll notice that the transflective screen is amazing; it's bright, uniform, and very clear; it's significantly better than any other manufacturer's Pocket PC screens.

Performance gets a boost, too. The combination of the Samsung 266 MHz processor and Windows Mobile 2003 means that there are no longer any performance issues, as there were with Pocket PC 2002. Videos play smoothly, games run well, and there is no longer any sluggishness evident.

The now SDIO-compliant slot and the built-in Bluetooth give decent expandability options. I wish HP had gone with built-in WiFi instead, but Bluetooth is better than nothing. Plus, you can always add an SD WiFi card later, if you want; that wasn't an option with older iPaqs.

Considering how small the battery is, the 1945 lasts a pretty long time. I haven't done any formal tests, but 2.5-3 hours of reading and playing games, with the screen set to full brightness, brought the battery down to 30%. A huge bonus is the built-in backup battery and the fact that the main battery is also replaceable.

Despite all the good stuff, the 1945 isn't without a few problems. The biggest one, which HP doesn't make immediately clear, is that they bundle Windows Mobile 2003 Professional edition, as opposed to the Premium edition. This means the loss of some features and programs, most notably Microsoft Reader. Fortunately, you can download and install this for free.

Another pretty annoying problem, for anyone who wants to use headphones, is that the 1945 has a 2.5 mm jack, as opposed to the standard 3.5. They do include an adapter, but who wants to carry that around?

The rest is really just nitpicking. HP includes 13 MB of non-volatile storage, which is really cool, but of the 64 MB of RAM that they advertise, only 56 is really available. I also didn't like the fact that they didn't include either a cradle or a protective cover. Lastly, the plastice battery cover feels a bit flimsy. It mounts on just fine, but when you take it off it feels really cheap and fragile.

48 Stylish and Fast!
I love my Ipaq 1945 it has the best futures like blutooth, mp3 player, video player, and all kinds of other neat stuff. HP is the best!!! I had a problem because i erased something i wasent suppose to erase and i thought i was f**ked so i call them up and they offer me help and i dont get that far so they say we will check if you have warranty on it and i was like "crap i forgot to buy it." Then they say i do because all their iPaq's come with 1 year of warranty so i'm "cool~!!!" and the box arrives the next day and ships the next day and comes in 3 days later... FIXED!

49 Dropped mine and it's dead
For all this money HP don't give you no case or protective cover. I dropped mine on the T this morning and the screen cracked and it doesn't turn on no more. Been on held for HP support for 45 minutes, try to see if they could give me warrantee repair. This is ridiclous.

50 Its helped a lot
Hello! Im a junior in high school and after wanting to get a palm pilot for years, although I really didnt need one, I finally got one last week. Ive been so busy with work, school, meetings, sports, and everything that I had to get organized. I looked on Amazon and this one had a great price. I want to Circuit City bought right away for $299 plus tax came to $315, but Its worth it. My big problem, there is no docking cradle, its by usb connectors, and its kinda of a hassle, and they take up room, other than that, the sound and color on this is great. It comes with bluetooth which is like amazing, and it works great with my laptop's Windows XP. This is an excellent device, i really recommend, and with the price, you cant go wrong.

51 HP Supports Communist Holiday - I returned my iPAQ 1945
I have just return my iPAQ 1945 due to Hewlett Packard's apparent celebration of communist China's most significant holiday that honors the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. I discovered this while looking for information on a new HP iPAQ 1945 Pocket PC that I just purchased when I gave my son my old handheld to use in high school.

To say the very least, I was absolutely appalled to receive a popup message on my computer, while visiting HP's web site, that stated:

"Dear Customer,

There will be Chinese National Holiday from October 1st to October 3rd. During this period, our iPAQ Parts Store staff will be out of office.

You are welcome to place order and email us for any inquiry as usual. We will respond to you immediately after we return.

Thank you !

iPAQ Services"

When I asked about this on an HP forum, my posts were immediately removed with a form letter to me stating that they had done so. My posts were neither offensive nor inappropriate - except, of course, to communists. Why is an American company endorsing such a despicable event? Why are Americans being censored by HP for asking questions about their practices?

As a direct result of this incident, I returned my iPAQ to the store this evening and had no problems doing so - the store's employees were equally appalled when I showed them the screen captures I made of the above. I will never purchase another HP product again and ask that all Americans consider a boycott against them.

While I connected to the official iPAQ parts site (where the message appears) directly from HP's regular site, you may also go directly to the parts site at:

http://www.services.foxconn.com/

52 Couldn't be happier
After doing a little homework, I replaced a Palm m105 with a new iPaq 1945. I couldn't be happier. I use the iPaq for backing up household Quicken finances, mapping, storage of pictures, and contacts, etc. I added eWallet for all the information it stores and encrypts. I added MS Reader and use it to read when I'm shopping with my wife. I added a dictionary for those words I'm not familiar with. Sync'ing data with my laptop is super easy. I haven't experienced any shortage of battery power even though I set the screen backlighting on high. I carry some spreadsheet data on the pocket edition of Excel. I carry more information on the pocket edition of Word. Even though the manufacturer recommends against keeping storage cards inserted in the iPaq due to power issues, I haven't experienced any undue power usage with a storage card kept in the iPaq. I'm happy.

53 Best GeoCaching PDA
I bought this PDA mostly for GeoCaching and I must say that I'm very impressed by this little machine. The first thing that struck me about it was the clarity of the screen, even in full sunlight. Since I use it mostly outdoors, it's a major plus for me. The unit is well built and has a solid feel to it. The 'joystick' is a bit stiff, but since I never use it, I don't really care. The stylus coming with the PDA is very good: it's mostly made of metal and is not too light and fits securely in my hand.

Bluetooth works like a charm, although I can't get ActiveSynch to work with it (it worked once, then stopped working for no good reason. I believe that switching between USB and BT confused AS in some way). No biggy since synch'ing with USB works fine.

I've been very pleased with the stability of PPC 2003. In fact, it's directly related to the software that you install on the machine. For instance, Adobe's Acrobat Reader is horrible and will cause soft resets regularly while other well behaved apps will just hum along.

I also appreciate PPC 2K3 as a developper. eVC++ 4.0 (free d/l from the MSFT site) is rather nice especially with the addition of STL. It's a pleasure to write code targeting this PDA (as opposed to PPC 2K2).

I don't really have any CONs regarding this machine. Sure, it would be nice to get a cradle and a case with the gizmo when you buy it. However there are many cases available for it at a good price (just about anything that fits a Palm will do).

After using it as a multi-purpose system (GeoCaching using GPXSonar, MP3 player, organizer and general digital wallet) for a couple of months, I give it 2 thumbs up. I had initially considered a Zire 71 against the iPAQ 1910, but when the iPAQ 1945 came out, there was no contest. Another reviewer said that this is a 'Palm Killer' and guess what...he's right!

54 An outstanding Pocket PC!
This is truly a great Pocket PC. Due to it's size it is truly the first PDA that I can carry in my front pocket and not feel like a geek.

PLUSES:
- the 266MHz Samsung CPU makes it one of the fastest PDAs on the market, faster than most 400MHz X-Scale models. Most discussion boards on the web rave about the speed of this PDA, putting it as #1 or #2 PDA out there.

- The screen is gorgeous: very bright, excellent contrast, rich colors. SEE MINUES.

- The SD slot is SDIO, so that you can add many devices besides the memory cards, like a WiFi adapter, etc.

- Built-in Bluetooth. Great if you have a Bluetooth-enabled cell phone, or you can buy a Bluetooth USB dongle for the PC and share the internet connection around the house for cheap.

- Part of the ROM available for back-up (up to 14Mb) so even if the battery runs out you can preserve your data.

MINUES:
- the screen has one issue: If viewed off center (from the top or bottom) there is some yellowing of the screen. The severity varies from unit to unit, and some people aren't bothered by it at all, while some can't stand it. I personally don't see it as a problem at all.

- No cradle or case. While at this price I can understand that the cradle hasn't been included (just a Sync cable), there should be at least a simple slip-on case. Or better yet, the screen should have a cover, like the old and sorely-missed HP Jornada 560 series.

Overall this is the first Pocket PC device that has all I need at the right price, and most importantly, the right size.

55 So far I am very pleased
Bought my 1940/1945 a month ago, and so far I have been extremely happy.

Pluses:

Small size. Wow, it is small, very small when compared with other Pocket Pc's. Love it. It actually fits in my pocket, even in the leather case I bought for it. Finally a pocket pc that is actually pocket sized.

Speed and Power: for the price it is exceptional. The benchmarking on the 266 Samsung processor have it beating or equaliing 400 Mhz intel x-scale processors in many areas.

SDIO: Being able to add an SD GPS unit, or an SD WiFi unit in the future will be really valuable.

Built in Bluetooth. Works like a charm, no need for an additional card taking up space.

Screen: Clean, clear and looks great.

Minuses:

The 4 way button on the front is a little stiff. Small headphone jack, but that is easily fixed with the included adapter. I bought two more adapters for $3 each at radio shack to keep in various locations.

Summary: I love it. I use it as an MP3 player (sounds great), video player (plays divx and mpeg tv shows and movies great!), eBook reader, organizor, game player, calender, etc etc. Wonderful piece of equipment.

56 Good PDA, but syncing doesn't work
I am a high school student entering my senior year, and I bought an HP iPAQ 1945 PocketPC to help me stay organized. I wanted to use it to keep track of my appointments, activities, and especially for homework - as well as for taking notes in class.

After about two weeks of use, I have found the iPAQ 1945 a very solid and dependable machine. It is not much use for taking notes, since data entry with either the virtual keyboard or graffiti still isn't as fast or accurate as good old-fashioned paper and pencil. However, I've found it an invaluable aid in keeping appointments and tasks (homework). It is much less bulky, and quicker to access, than a day planner. There is also a voice recording feature, which can be used to record lectures or class discussions at a reasonable level of quality. Such recordings are memory hogs, so if you want to do serious voice recording, you might want to buy a memory expansion card.

Ergonomically, the device is small and light, easily fitting into your coat pocket. You don't need to bother with a case as long as you're careful not to damage or touch the screen, since the iPAQ doesn't have a flip-up cover. Entering data with the virtual keyboard was tedious at first, but gets easier with practice. I haven't tried using graffiti very much, but I expect it's the same way.

The only problem I've experienced with the iPAQ 1945 is the software for syncing it with a desktop. It is bundled with Microsoft Outlook 2002 and Microsoft ActiveSync. Outlook appears to be broken, however. It gives several error messages on startup, and when I start ActiveSync, it claims that Outlook is not installed and therefore it cannot sync my contacts, tasks, appointments, etc. I've tried reinstalling the software twice, but nothing changes. This only an annoyance for me, not a showstopper, since I don't have a compelling need to sync with my desktop - but if you do, you might want to consider getting a different handheld.

57 Great, with a couple of limitations
This is definitly a great handheld. I got it to replace my two-year old 3000 series Compaq PDA. It's about half the size, with a much better screen, and expandability. Every application I've tried works well (no problems with PocketPC 2003). I'm waiting on my bluetooth adapter to see how well it's going to work. The battery life is good, and can be improved by turning off the bluetooth and infrared connections.

My only minor complaints are 1) Non-standard headphone jack, 2) no slip case included, and 3) SD card plug . The jack has a ring of plastic around it, about two millimeters thick. I cannot figure out why HP's engineers couldn't figure out how to put in a real headphone jack, but if you're looking to use this as a multimedia device (it works well) the non-standard jack is a pain. Sound quality is really good through headphones, though. My other complaint is that they didn't include even the most basic protective cover with it. Since the nice case I've ordered won't be here for a couple of weeks, I had to run down to my local gargantuan electronics store and get a big clunky universal slip case to protect it for now, a waste of about ten bucks. Oh well.

My final very tiny complaint is that rather than a hinged door, they supply a plastic filler piece for the SD card slot. I've already managed to lose mine, so now if I don't have the card in there's a gaping hole in the top of the PDA.

Overall, these minor complaints don't touch the fact that this device costs less, weighs a lot less, and can run rings around my circa- 2001 ipaq. Definitly worth the money.

58 Disaster struck
Please read this warning.

The SD card is top-loaded, with a spring mechanism. You push it in to secure it in place, and push it in further to spring it back out. Herein lies the problem: just five minutes ago I was enjoying music sitting on the toilet, and accidentally I pushed the SD card. Since there's no lock mechanism as on the Casio models, the SD card popped out while data was being accessed! Guess what? Now the ipaq would not turn on. I think it's dead. I'll need to send it for inspection. I hope HP doesn't come back and tell me since I "broke" it they wouldn't fix it.

59 Finally, a Pocket PC that fits in your pocket!
I have been a dedicated Palm user, having started with the Palm III, and moved on to the Palm V and Palm 505. I would sometimes eye my boss's IPAQ with envy, except that his PDA was so large and expensive that he rarely made use of it except as a toy. On the other hand, I used my Palm for everything: meeting notes, Avantgo, GPS, Chinese-English dictionary, Quicken... I could see the limitations of the Palm system, however, and was waiting for improvements to the Pocket PC to make the switch more palatable.

The Palm-killer is here in the HP 1940. While it's admittedly more buggy and complicated to operate than the Palm OS (can Microsoft ever make a stable OS??), it's infinitely more versatile.

Advantages:
1) Price. I bought the HP 1940 from Amazon last month , which included a promotional Amazon gift certificate. The comparable price-point Palm model -- the new Zire 71 -- is not nearly as capable as the HP 1940.
2) Versatility. I can surf the actual web pages with Internet Explorer, listen to MP3's, watch movies, and record voice memos.
3) Bluetooth. I bought a USB bluetooth adapter for my laptop, and now I can sync and surf wirelessly with my PDA. I can even chat on MSN Messenger at the same time! Definitely a good deal, considering the Palm bluetooth SD card alone is $100. I also have a Siemens S56 Cingular cell phone with built-in bluetooth, letting me use my cell phone as a wireless modem! No bulky, weird hybrid PDA phones -- my PDA can be a PDA, and my phone a phone, but now they can connect seamlessly and invisibly.
4) Size. The 1940 is small enough to fit in my old Palm 505 case, but still has a larger screen.

Disadvantages:
1) Windows OS. I have all the same frustrations with the Pocket PC as I do with Windows 2000, 98, etc. I'm a pretty sophisticated user, so I muddle through, but I would recommend users less comfortable with computers to stick to the simplicity of a Palm.
2) Battery life. Not much more than 3 hours, continuous use. I tend to leave it on at work, so I plug it in.
3) Limited accessories. I never really liked those bulky sleeve and compact flash accessories for the sister IPAQ models, because they make them too large to carry in your pocket. Still, for now, there is precious little made for the 1940's petite design. I ended up using my old Palm case because there were so few to choose from for the 1940.
4) Yellow-tinted screen. To be honest, I probably wouldn't have noticed it if other reviewers hadn't pointed it out.

It was surprisingly easy to ditch my Palm for this gem. I definietly think you get your money's worth for this model. The comments about the lack of a cradle and cheap stylus are superfluous. I rarely prefer the inconvenience of cradles, and I typically bought more comfortable styli for my Palm anyway.

60 Ignore bad reviews for this...sheesh
This thing is great. I'm reading reviews here about difficulty with the sync software and crashing. I'm not a pro. This is my first PDA and I don't see how this could have been easier to set up. I'm running Windows 2000; the Sync software works great. It installed in one try with no issues. This has *never* crashed on me--been using it about 6 weeks. Frankly, it's been *rock* solid. Soon I'll have a bluetooth dongle on my PC and will be able to Sync wirelessly. How cool is that?

Anyway, all the 1940/1945 is is the very-popular 1910 with Bluetooth and a more current OS. This is getting great reviews all over the place and rightfully so. Not sure what PDA these users who are giving this one-star reviews are using. I figure either they are total pros that should be buying top-of-the-line Power PDAs or just the opposite, completely tech-unsavvy people who don't know how to do simple things on their PCs.

The only thing that's kind of a bummer for me is I haven't figured out a way to run this through my non-bluetooth (Motorola T720) cellphone for internet use. If anyone knows how to do that I'd love to hear how. You can get a data cable for the other Ipaq's but so far not this one. I've heard this is an upgraded SD slot and one may or may not be available later. If I could figure that out this would do everything I want it to do and more. Otherwise I'll have to wait until my contract is up on this phone and then just get a cellphone that supports Bluetooth.

61 Ignore bad reviews for this...sheesh
This thing is great. I'm reading reviews here about difficulty with the sync software and crashing. I'm not a pro. This is my first PDA and I don't see how this could have been easier to set up. I'm running Windows 2000; the Sync software works great. It installed in one try with no issues. This has *never* crashed on me--been using it about 6 weeks. Frankly, it's been *rock* solid. Soon I'll have a bluetooth dongle on my PC and will be able to Sync wirelessly. How cool is that?

62 effodable PDA with features you know!
This unit is very good. Even though I have returned the item to get 2215. (Because for [$$] difference you get Craddle, Compact Flash slot, 400 Mhz CPU, Premium Pocket Windows OS, etc.)

I enjoyed the unit for 13 days. But I did have some problems. (I always complain about problems but not how good it is!)
After 13 days of usage, I found some problem with charging. I asked my wife to remove it from charging and give it me while I am standing outside of my apartment, offcourse I told her to keep pressing side buttons and pull it slowly. I dont know how she removed it from the craddle. It started showing me that unit is still charging. Even after 10 hours its the same thing. I bring it back home and put on charging. The LED was blinking very fast for about 3 hours. After fully charing the LED was constant on(It should stop any light or blinking) So I decided to return it. Now I ordered 2215 from Amazon. I waiting for its arrival.

One more strange problem -- I could not see 'CAPS' button on the onscreen keyboard. After returning, I did went to [other retailer] to check, there I found CAPS lock on the both 1945 and 2215 pdas. I wonder what was wrong with the PDA that I had.

The unit does't come with a leather cover. I don't know why they don't think the way I think. For example take Sony models, they come with flip cover. Its very important. You spend [$$] on these kind of machines and there is no security ???, you can not just put it into your pant pocket. The unit PALM III some version also had flip cover. They have to think how people are going to use these kind of devices in ones regular life, then they can do things better. 2215 spec shows that it comes with leather slip in case. (If I don't like that cover or its too bulky then I would return even this 2215).

The stylus comes with this unit is too thin. I saw stylus of 2215, its thicker than what 1945 has and looks convenent.

For me a PDA should do these things.
1. Do all your regular tasks - regular features of a PDA
2. Pocket PC should have all regular microsoft office products
3. Convenent to use. Things like brightness, handling, carrying, input data, transfering data from desktop, storing, backup, etc.
4. expandability options.
5. compatability with Microsoft money if its a pocket PC

Sometimes I think, why should I want PDA ?. The anwser I usually come up with is, "I have lot of electronic gadgets, like, latest colorful T720 wireless phone, Bose Home theater, Sony Wega 32" TV, Sony VCR, Sony DVD, Sony Audio Receiver, Sony Deck on my Car, etc. etc. ". I spent [$$] on my wireless phone, then why can't I spend [$$] on PDA ?. Its really crazy.

My sincere advice is that, fist dicide why you want and what you are going to do with that. Decide what features you want and how much you spend, and think about. Do you really care about future upgrages??. Sometimes you want upgrades, but by the time you are ready for upgrade, you may find new item with all those features that you wanted. But for less price than what you have already paid for your existing equipment.

My openion about bluetooth, is that it is not for normal people earning between $$$$$ pa to $$$$$$$ pa. The best option would be use your cell phone to connect to the PDa and surf the net.

My comments or suggestions are very confusing as this is a very completetive world and changing so fast. DO your research and land at a proper place. (I could not do this because I am a crazy electronics fan). This is just my experience and how I felt. But it does't alter or wanted to alter manufacutures Aims and belief or what is thie game plan.

63 Does not hold a candle to my old casio e125
Not only do you get no case, no cradle, and no user's guide, but you get a battery that lasts 2 hours at medium brightness with secure digit card inserted, a super slippery stylus, and you'll be happy to spend hours and hours setting up the sync software, plus you'll be sticking the stylus into the "reset" hole many, many times each joyful day. You'll love to bang your head against the wall numerous times when you want to sync it with more than one PC.

I admit the styling is great, but this is a [poor] PDA, because it requires you to constantly soft reset. And it slows to a crawl when you run more than three apps at the same time. Fuhget it.

64 Nice PDA!
I was a little worried ordering this after reading all of the reviews of a yellow tint on the screen. Well I purchased it anyway expecting that it was just people overly high expectations. Well I can say that I am happy with it. It works well with my PC, and I purchased Missing Sync to sync it with my mac which also works without a hitch. I was also a little concerned about the low clock speed compared to say the dell, but it is zippy... runs MameCE, PocketNES and other emulators well. And as far as that yellow screen... well yes it is there if you look at the screen at an angle, not normal viewing angles... overall this is a great little pda that I would recommend to anyone!

65 Crash galore
Here's my recommendation, friends. If you love a palm pc that crashes and crashes and crashes, this one is perfect for you. In addition, you'd love to know that it barely syncs with your desktop.

Sarcasm aside, this is not unlike a piece of garbage, maybe expensive paperweight is a better cliched analogy. Seriously, I like my HP desktop, but this is really bad. Expect to reset it twice or more a day, and don't say I didn't warn you when you pull your hair out over the sync troubles. Only bright spot is the screen, but what good is it if it can't work smoothly?

66 Mighty Mite - HP does it right!
Looking for a Pocket PC(PPC) with the power to handle your most graphic intensive tasks, but the form factor you loved in your Palm V? HP has finally built it - the Ipaq 1945!

I must say that I didn't set out to buy the 1945. I had my eyes on the Ipaq 2215. I was looking for a PPC that would double as a gameboy using PocketSNES. Although PPC's released as little as 3 months ago couldn't run PocketSNES fast enough to be playable, I was promised that the new Intel processor in the 2215 would. So I took a trip to my local retailer to check it out. Long story short, the 2215 performed as promised, but my eye was caught by the 1945. With a 'what the heck' I popped my memory card into the slot and fired it up, thinking that the 266mhz Samsung processor couldn't possibly compete with the 400mhz Intel. Boy was I surprised when the [money amount]performed just as well as the 2215. This thing had some power! I then tried a video that had been choppy on my previous (300mhz Intel) PPC. It ran smooth as butter. I was sold.

I've now used the 1945 for about a month and I couldn't be happier. This thing has handled every task I could throw at it. It's onboard memory is as large as any other currently available PPC, but it is faster than almost all of them (do a web search to see what the benchmark numbers say). The screen is bright, clear, and well saturated, if a little on the yellow side. I thought Bluetooth would be pretty useless until I connected for the first time. I can now sync the Ipaq without a cable or cradle, and wirelessly surf the internet from my couch. Very Cool. With the [money amount]I saved by choosing this model over the 2215, I was able to purchase an extra snc-n-charge cable, an aluminum case, and a Bluetooth Dongle for wireless connection to my PC.

I highly recommend this PPC to...I was going to say budget conscious buyers, but since this outperforms PPC's costing hundreds more...everyone looking for a powerful handheld that will fit comfortably in your pocket.

67 Nice product with a couple of downsides
The 1945 lives up to its promises and reviews rather nicely. It is beautifully compact and nicely designed. It is reasonably fast. The screen detail is exceptionally fine.

BUT--I have found two items which have been somewhat of a disappointment: The screen has a "yellowish" tint which gets worse as you view at off-angles from normal; and several of the applications which I was happily using on my 2002 PPC (an Audiovox Maestro)do not work on the new HP 1945.

I had heard about the yellowish tint from others, and it is true! I thought perhaps I was imagining it through the "power of suggestion", so I went to CompUSA where I could compare the 1910 and 1945 side-by-side. Well, its real, all right! - And the 2215 next to those also had the yellowish tint. Not that it is all that noticable by itself, but it is somewhat annoying that HP rides the coattails of the 1910 in bragging about the fantastic screen - when in actuality, the color rendition of the 1945 and 2215 are inferior to their stellar sibling. HP-why did you change??? $$$???

Regarding software compatibility of the new 2003 operating system, I am sorely disappointed! I have found at least 4 applications which worked fine on my 2002 Maestro, but do not work at all, or are extremely buggy in the 2003 O.S. The worst was a BELKIN InfraRed keyboard which hard-crashed the 1945 so bad that I had to do a hard reset, losing many hours of installation work in the process. Belkin offered no warning or patch for 2003 users, even on their web site. So back up your installs incrementally, lest you meet the same fate; and check compatibility carefully before shelling out any $ for 2002 software which may not work! Niether Microsoft nor HP have offered any patches or upgrades to overcome any incompatibilities.

Overall, I'm happy with the things which do work on the 1945, and I'm keeping it. If you don't need bluetooth, consider buying the 1910 instead - you'll be $$ and smiles ahead.

P.S. the aluminum hard case for the 1900-series iPaqs is great!

68 The best PocketPC to come along in a long time
First off, I feel the criticisms of the 2-star review posted July 25th need to be addressed, because some of them are in error (why do people write reviews for things they don't own?)...

1). The ARM9 core Samsung S3C2410 CPU in the 1945 is actually quite fast. Don't be fooled by a 266MHz clock speed compared to 400MHz XScale devices - this device runs multimedia apps and games faster than most other PocketPC models. I've done the benchmarks and framerate tests myself - it's impressive. Why? because despite the XScale hype, almost no apps or games are optimized for this Intel CPU, so ARM based processors can actually perform faster. The Samsung CPU also handles many functions internally, while the XScales still rely on a 100MHz external bus (the new PXA-255 processors use a 200MHz internal bus). Also, the 1945 isn't any 'hotter' than other PocketPC models I have owned. In fact, it stays quite cool.

2). The 1945 has 56.66MB of available system RAM out of 64 - NOT 46. It also has approx. 13MB of additional flash file storage that can be used for anything - so the device really comes with approx. 70MB of available RAM!

3). Bluetooth is essential. I use it to surf the web wirelessly at home and sync. It works great, and is quite fast. Be sure to select a Belkin or other Class 1 long-range USB dongle and read Brighthand or other PocketPC forums for tips on how to properly set it all up. It's also great if you have a BT cell phone.

4). The 30 minute battery "guess" for WiFi SD use is wrong. I get 2.5+ hours playing hardcore games with brightness and sound on full blast, 4 hours playing MP3 with the light on (6-7 hours with it off). And yes, a 256MB flash/WiFi combo so you can have both expansion RAM and wireless.

5). Note the use of the word "bloatware" -- this is an old slam that users of Palm devices use to bash the PocketPC. Draw your own conclusions from a guy that wrote a large and scathing review based on, in his own words, "A test drive" at a local store. He comments on the "cheaper" Zire 71 as having more features, but in reality it's the exact same price for less RAM and a much less sophisticated OS. You do get a very low resolution camera, but it doesn't do video and multimedia is still better on PocketPC.

Now that the comments from the guy who doesn't know what he's talking about are out of the way, here are my PRO and CON comments on the 1945 (which I've had now for almost a month):

PRO:
* Size and style are the best of any PocketPC. Great power in the tiniest form imaginable. Think Palm V! It's amazing.

* Removeable battery - spares are cheap ($... shipped) and the optional cradle can charge the 1945 plus one extra battery!

* Stylus included has a metal shaft and reset tool (unlike the Zire 71).

* VERY fast - comparable to the fastest PPC models available. Great for games and video!

* Voice/Memo Recorder button & mic (lacking on the HP 2215 and Palm Zire 71).

* Fast USB transfer. Large files copied from the desktop go very quickly.

* SDIO slow allows IO accessories like WiFi, and the upcoming tiny HP video cam that will take movies and 1.3MP images!

* Screen has a slight yellow tint when viewed at certian angles, but is still very rich and vibrant with great color, like the 1910.

* Price - Unbeatable at $... list, and Amazon has them right now for even less.

CON:
* Battery life is OK but not as good as models such as the 2215.

* Slipcover & cradle are optional.

* Earphone jack is non-standard (adapter is included)

* No CF slot or available expansion sleeves.

* Uses Windows Mobile 2003 'Professional' which lacks MS Reader and ClearType Tuner. Reader can be installed, however.

CONCLUSION:

The iPAQ 1945 marks a milestone, as did its predecessor, the 1910. It carries forward the 1900 series tradition of groundbreaking (for PocketPC) size & price while adding to it the super-fast Samsing ARM based CPU, an expandable SD slot, integrated bluetooth connectivity and a new version of the OS. It's not perfect, but for less than $... it's by far the most powerful & versatile PDA available capable of superb performance.

69 Best PPC for most people
I felt compelled to write a review of this great device after reading a terribly uniformed review from someone that doesn't even own the device.

The good!

Size - The smallest on the market. Fits nicely in your pocket without feeling like you're carrying a brick, unlike so many other PPCs.

Speed - Many benchmarks rate this unit faster than the 2215, which uses a 400mhz Intel processor. Audio, video playback is smooth as can be. It is plenty fast.

Bluetooth - Bluetooth(bt) allows this device to be every bit as capable and expandable as the larger and more expensive devices. Bluetooth applications include:
Link to bt GPS for real-time driving and mapping directions
Link to bt cell phone for mobile remote dial up
Link to PC for wireless sycing, printing, and browsing.

Expandable - SD, WiFi, and even a combo card with WiFi and 256MG will be available.

Screen - The best screen on the market (except for the 1910)

Battery - Battery performance is adequate. You can by an additional battery for pretty cheap if needed.

Cons!

Non-standard headphone jack - It comes with an adapter that works very well, but it is still a much bigger inconvenience than I expected.

Screen - The screen puts a yellow tint on stark white when you tilt the unit away from you. I barely notice it, and don't think this is a big issue, but I've read where others are put off by it. The screen is still one of the best on the market.

No docking station - Not a big issue for me, especially with the Bluetooth.

In summary:
With the exception of commercial grade infrared (the 1945 has IR, just not commercial grade) which would allow it to be used as a universal remote, there is nothing this PPC can't do that the bigger and more expensive devices do. It is the best PPC on the market in my opinion.

If size is important, you can't do better than the 1945. If a very compact size (and money) isn't important to you I suggest the 2215.

70 iPAq 1945 - the best pocket pc i ever had, and ever known.
This device is fast, light, unexpensive, and have a beatiful screen. It s imposible not to love it... It s faster than most other pocket pc s, even than 400 mhz ones, and there is no lighter or smaller color pda on the market... there is no decent pda of any kind lighter and tinier than this one. And it also has bluetooth, wich combined with a BT cellphonem,is a great thing.

71 Two days of nothing but frustrations
Had my first experience with Pocket PC/Mobile Windows and it was a total letdown experience. Returned the 1910 after 48 hours. Just couldn't get the thing to work right. First I had to install Outlook to sync -- talking of monopoly! Then the synch wouldn't work. The "wizard" goes "boo boo boo boo boo" as it searches for the USB, even though the USB is right there, it can't find it, so after I went through the trouble to install Outlook, I wasn't able to synch at all. I fumbled like this for an hour to no avail. ... Forget it. Back it goes.

72 ActiveSync Problems
I like my iPAQ 1910 very much and am considering the upgrade to the more powerful model. A major drawback for me is that ActiveSync will allow connections to only 2 (two!!) computers. I use my iPAQ with a PC at work, a PC at home, a laptop, and a PC at a 2nd home. It's a hassle each time that I change computers. With Palm, you just have their desktop on any computer and there are no problems. I can't imagine why Microsoft wanted to limit use to two computers. This limitation is something that you should consider before switching from a Palm to an iPAQ.

73 Best looking PDA but its runs Windoze :(
All the features you want in a small package at an affordable price. It has BT, infrared, SDIO expansion slot, replaceable battery and all the usual feature set you can expect from a Pocket PC.

The PDA is very sexy, has good screen and its slim. Low weight and average battery life for a PPC. But wait its not just looks that matter!

The Windoze OS is a bad idea for handhelds, why do think MSFT keeps changing the OS name every time they release new bloatware? Comparing raw MHz/MB or advertized feature set is not a good idea with PDA's. (8MB on Palm OS does more than 64MB on bloated Windoze.) All the cool features look great for first few weeks and then the PPC gadget might stay in your drawer!

Easy of use, reliability, battery life and intuitive software (like a Nokia) are more important than voice recording, mp3 playback and video. Check out the "Zen of Palm" if you aren't convinced that Palm OS is much better.

If you desperately want a "PC in your Pocket" buy this iPaq, its much better than other PPC clones out there. If this was running Palm OS it would be the best selling PDA in market!

74 The iPAQ 1945 - A Pocket PC Approaching Perfection
The iPAQ 1945, also sold as the iPAQ 1940, is the first in a line of planned successors to the iPAQ 1910. HP has addressed many of the concerns that 1910 users had, namely that the 1910 was too slow and lacked hardware expansion options. The 1945 is powered by a new 266MHz processor from Samsung which rivals, and sometimes surpasses, the usable speed of many XScale chips from Intel. Other features of the iPAQ 1945 include 64MB of RAM (56MB of which are user accessible), a crisp, bright transflective color screen, onboard Bluetooth wireless, and a Secure Digital slot which can use SD flash memory cards and SDIO peripherals such as 802.11b WLAN cards.

Windows Mobile 2003 for Pocket PC replaced Pocket PC 2002 as the most current Pocket PC OS in June 2003 and comes installed on the 1945. While the version of Windows Mobile 2003 pre-installed on the iPAQ lacks a few minor applications (such as Microsoft Reader), each can be downloaded for free. Because HP left the choice to the end-user, the iPAQ File Store - unused space on the ROM - has over 13MB free for software, files, etc.

As I mentioned before, the Samsung processor keeps the 1945 moving along very well. Having recently used an iPAQ 5450 (400Mhz PXA250 XScale), a Toshiba e755 (400MHz PXA255 XScale) and a Toshiba e355 (300MHz PXA255 XScale), I can say that, from a casual use point-of-view, the iPAQ 1945 surpasses the speed of the iPAQ 5450 and Toshiba e355 and feels basically on level with the Toshiba e755. One of the touted benefits of the Samsung processor is long battery life, and while I didn't get the eight hours that HP suggested I might, I got almost seven hours use out of the 1945 with the backlight on its lowest setting before I had to recharge; a very good result.

There is only one real drawback to the iPAQ 1945, as I see it, and it's relatively minor and completely fixable: the 1945 ships with only a USB Sync cable, not a cradle. While some might actually prefer this, I miss not having a cradle to rest the iPAQ in while it's not in use. The good news here is that there is a cradle available (the same cradle that works with the iPAQ 1910), and you can purchase if you want it.

All-in-all, the iPAQ 1945 is an amazing addition to the Pocket PC family. If you like small, light PDAs with oomph, the 1945 might be right up your alley.

75 More drawbacks than advantages
The iPaq 1945, with "Mobile Windows 2003," is an updated version of the landmark 1910 model. The 1910 model was significant in the history of Pocket PCs because it was small and stylish, a first in the PPC world. Unfortunately, the cool factor of the 1910 wore off pretty quickly; I initially loved my 1910 and gave it 5 stars. After two weeks I started getting frequent crashes, and the unit was very slippery and quite uncomfortable to hold, and HP didn't even both to include a case!
The 1945 introduced some new additions, but has one big huge drawback: it uses a Korean-made Sumsung CPU, which implements the ARM architecture at a low speed and also a low cost (to HP, that is). The CPU is reported to generate more heat than Intel offerings, and personally I don't trust a company that makes DVD players that don't last more than 6 months. Anyway, the 1945 is not even that cheap. A faster and better built Zire 71 with more features is cheaper, and since Palm can do videos and music these days, the incentive to get such a half-baked product like the 1945 is pretty small.

Also, even though 64MB of RAM is included, you can still only access about 46MB of it. In my 1910 experience this is actually adequate, unless you want to install Microsoft Reader, Pocket Streets, Money, and other software. PPC software titles tend to be huge (think "bloatware"), so I think going forward if you are buying a PPC, be sure to get at least 64MB of *useable* RAM. Check out Toshiba's e750/e755 offering, which as 96MB of RAM, 32 of which is non-versatile, meaning the content stays on even when the battery completely dies. (The e75x also has wi-fi.)

In terms of additions, the 1945 offers Bluetooth -- but nobody I know uses BT so most of you potential buyers would be paying for something you'll never use (kinda like the mic feature on all the PPCs I've owned...) -- and also SDIO compatibility, something sorely missing in the 1910. A few manufacturers including Toshiba, Sandisk, Lexar, etc. are coming out with SD wi-fi cards (finally), so at least the 1945 can potentially use them. BUT... wi-fi is a battery killer, and the 1945 uses a small-capacity battery. My prediction is on a full charge and at level 2 brightness (out of 5), if you have the wi-fi on, the 1945 won't last for more than 30 minutes. Also note that you cannot use a wi-fi card and SD memory expansion at the same time as the 1945 only has one slot. So a few extra bucks, you'd be much, much better off with a Toshiba e75x model, which has both SD and CompactFlash expansion slots (and built-in 802.11b wi-fi).

While the 1945 is still stylish and kind of "cool," you must keep in mind that its slippery metal surface makes it hard to hold or take out of the case. The application buttons are also stiff. I test-drove a 1945 in a local computer store and was totally unimpressed since none of the complaints I had was addressed at all, including the small and awkward stylus.

Even though I still use my 1910 as my primary PDA, I'm looking to replace it completely (maybe with a Palm, after all these years?), both as a result of disatisfaction with the hardware and some frustrations over the software (no "tap-and-write" calendar appointments, all-too-frequent problems with ActiveSync, constant soft resets, etc, etc.). So my finally thought is, get a Palm if you want something simple and reliable, and if you want a PPC, stay away from this underpowered, ergonomically incorrect 1945 and get a Toshiba e755 instead.